Smyrna times., 1887-03-09
The Pelletier Case.
MIR. BAYARD's RIGHTEOUS DECISION.

In 1860 one Antonio Pelletier through
his agent Packer bought the bark WI
liam, condemned ut Key West as a
Shaving vessel. The JPiIiiam was fitted
up at Mobile and an American register
was obtained under the name of
Edward deLauna, which name was as
sumed by an Emile Delaunay, of New
Orleans, the real owner of the vessel.
In October, 1860, the IViLtidm sailed for
Carthagena, "a town in New Granada,
and from there to Prince,
Hayti. This latter place was reached
in January of the following year.
While at Port au-Prince. Bina, negro,
who had boarded the William at Cath
agena, denounced Pelletier to the au-
thOrities as n slave-trader The police.
on reaching the vessel, found an unus-
ual number of handouts, empty casks,
rifles, revOlvers, much ammunition.
and other things suitable to slave-trad-
ing. Very soon, however, the UiI5iqm
was allowed to embark, as was sup
posed, for New Orleans. Instead of
sailing for this place, Pelletier visited
Fort Liberte, Il town on the northern
coast Of Hayti There he hoated the
French flag, assumed French name
for himself and his We ei, command
his crew to speak only tl French Ian
guage, giving as his excuse that he
was terrified at behOlding the Haytian
flag, remembering his adventure at
POrt-auPrince. At Fort Lberte, Mi
randa, one of the crew of the William.
escaped from the vessel, and Pelletier.
fearing lest this sailor should disclose
his Infamous plot, attempted to set sail
at night, but his vessel got aground,
and the suspicious Of the Haytian au-
thOrlties being once more aroused. Pei
letter was carried a prisoner to Port
au-Prince. These instances, together
with the facts that at the latter place
Pelletier had applied for fifty negro
men and women, to sail, as he said. for
GuanO island, and that at Fort Liberte
ball was to have been given for the
purpose ofcarrying those that attended
as slaves to that island led the Hayti-
ans to believe that PelIetier was a slave
trader. Before prosecuting him, how
ever, the consultes of England, France.
Denmark, Hanover, Spain, Italy, Prus-
sia and Sweden were consulted, who
believed the Haytian government right
in their arrest and trial of Pelletier.
The penalty Of the offence was death,
but IN this instance an Imprisonment of
five years was the sentence. Pelletier
escaped from prison in 1864 and made
claims against the Haytian govern
ment for damages done him in his ar
rest by its officials. This claim went
before the State departmnt of the Uni
ted States first when Mr.. Seward was
Secretary ofState, aud was denied bv
him after investigation. The claim
was again made to the State depart
ment in 1871, and again in 1874, and
twice more denied after investigation.
In 1878, when Mr.. Evarts was Gecre-
tary of State, and Mr.. O'Connor was
examiner Of claims, Pelleter called at
tention to his case once more, and Mr..
O'Connor reported in his favor. An
arbitration was then agreed upon, and
Mr. Strong, ExJustice of the Supreme
Court Of the United States, was ap-
pointed arbitrator in 1884 by Mr.. Fre-
linghuysen, Secretary of State, and Mr..
Preston, Minister for Hayti. After
careful examination of the minutest
details, the conclusions fudge Strong
were:
/. That Pelletier was entitled to no
damages for seizure and confiscation of
his ship, but
,. That he was entitled to damages
for Imprisonment and other injuries in
iilrted by IIayti as punishment for
Pirnry aud attempted slave trading,
these damages amounting to S57 $50.
This sum the Hayliaus refused to paw.
This was the condition of affairs
when Thomas F. Bayard was appointed
Secretary of State. The case was
brought before him, and his opinion
was to be given as to whether the Uni
ted States should force the collection
of this sum of money by means of arms,
or whether the debt was illegal, and
consequently void. The written testi-
mOny in this case reaches the large
number of two thousand pages, all of
which Mr.. Bayard carefully read and
considered before making his report.
In closing his report Mr.. Bayard
says; " | do not hesitate to say that, in
my judgement, the claim of Pelletier is
one which this government should not
press on Hayti, either by persuasion or
by force, and l come to this conclusion,
first, because Hayti had jurisdiction to
iniiict on him the very punishment of
which he complains, such punishment
being in no way excessive in view of
the Nervousness of the offence, and,
secondly, because his cause is of itself
so saturated with tupitude and that on
it no action, judicial or diplomatic, can
be bassed."
And so Mr.. Evarts's aud Mr.. Strong's
award is set aside, and through the in
reference Of Secretary Bayard a mon.
strous and disgraceful piece of injustice
about to be inflicted upon weak and
helpless, but protesting, power, has
been stopped.
A Natural Mistake.-Amateur Arctic
Explorer-Well, well the books are all